This week would have been a really good week of fun, happiness and friends, if not for the influx of mice we had to endure. Oh and a trip to the walk in center due to my flatmate tearing a muscle in her knee. That said, we had fun raiding the vending machine and eating too much crap!

So much online when looking for advice on what to do about rodents consists of 'it's your own fault, don't be messy'. The thing is, they were here before we moved in and are getting in through holes in the brickwork which the landlord will not fix. So we're having to endure living with a massive family of mice who can just walk in and out as they please despite us being clean, tidy and removing as best we can their access to food. Yet they still manage to get inside our cupboards, around our fridge etc. Which is disgusting. It's meant we've only really got one/two mice free rooms in the house and we've all been living on top of each other. We are doing everything we can; we've brought traps ourselves, despite having next to no student loan left and we've stuffed all the holes under doors with pillowcases to stop them getting into and out of rooms etc.

It's fun for the first few nights of 'sleep overs' of all of us in one bed, but with dissertation due dates looming, the novelty quickly wore off. Having to harm living creatures, not being able to sleep, cook properly and the fear of constantly seeing them everywhere is all taking it's tole. Not to mention the money we're spending on rent to be left enduring this and forking out for traps, poison etc! That said, we have had a laugh. We decided to watch Rastamouse on Sunday morning whilst trying to get some kip. A welcomed change from the academic journals we all have to read!

I had been feeling a bit down this week. Lots of deadlines, poor living conditions and homesickness drove me to feeling a little nostalgic. So I headed over to Amazon and ordered my favourite childhood book. I fricken loved this book as a kid, and if i'm honest, I still do, and may or may not *I did* make my housemates and boyfriend read it to me. Soon as it arrived I sent a photo of it to my mum, and asked if she remembered it. I used to refuse to sleep until she read it to me every night. For world book day I would dress as Telephone Ted, whilst all the other girls dressed as princesses. I didn't care how weird I looked, as Ted was an awesome bear. My mum called me straight back and asked if I was going to dress up like the Bear again, and had a good hour long phone call about how I used to think my teddy answered the phone whilst I was at school and everyone else was out. Best £1 I ever spent, as it was an excellent mood lifter!

Talking of bears, this is the best bear going! This is the bear my parents brought before I was born and I've slept with every night since. So he is now well over twenty-two years old! He's came into a few scrapes over his time. Most of his stuffing has been taken from other stuffed toys which are murdered in an attempt to save him. He very nearly ended up in the bin at a Birmingham Travelodge also, as I left him behind. After a very massive dash across the city, my lovely boyfriend managed to get back into our room and save the cleaner from binning him! So it's very fitting both wonderful humans/bear-mans were my valentines. Roses from both lovelies this valentines made me feel a very lucky girl.

If we're honest, valentines day can seem like a day where you're forced to buy cards and spend loads just 'cause everyone else does. Granted you should appreciate those in your life every day, not just your partners, all those you love. Love is good! Now that disclaimer of 'two valentines day rambles doesn't mean I agree with the point of it' is out of the way, brings me on to how Friday was a good day!

I spent valentines day with some of those I love; my housemates, bear and boyfriend. The man-chum had to work, and I had a couple hours in uni, so we decided we'd have a cosy night in of pizza and dvds once we were both back. It was awesome, who doesn't like pizza?! The day was spent with my housemates though, chugging down valentines day Starbucks hot chocolates and destroying and umbrella in under 20 seconds!

That is no exaggeration either! We stepped off the bus, put up the umbrella, and about 5 steps later, the plastic has ripped off and I was left with mental prongs! Being the responsible human I am though, I carried it the rest of the way to Tesco so it could be properly disposed of! This was a lot harder than it sounds as the wind was tugging it from my hand still! The looks I was getting for not just letting go of it were amusing though! I was desperately clinging onto the umbrella and trying to make sure my housemate didn't get knocked off her crutches by the wind!

After an eventful week, I was looking forward to a relaxing week of getting some dissertation done and indulging in too many lush bath bombs, but it seems the week will be full of more drama knowing our luck. I just want a good nights kip and a lot of sleep. I've forgot what it feels like to be asleep for more than 45 minutes at a time. It is cruel when your student days are meant to be the ones where you sleep all day!